Strange Day
by boymommytotwo
Summary: Gibbs has a long day emotionally and ends up at home with Abby. He's not sure which is stranger.


Title: Strange Day  
>Author: ami (boymommytotwo)<br>Pairing: pre-Gibbs/Abby, Humor/Friendship/pre-Romance  
>Spoiler: Minor for 1.02 Hung Out To Dry, super-minute for 1.01 Yankee White<br>Prompt: Tough  
>Word Count: 1800<br>Rating: K  
>Disclosure: Own nothing except my original ideas. We have Don Bellisario et al to thank most everything.<br>A/N: Unbetaed so all mistakes are my own. Constructive feedback is always welcome. If you don't know the definition of constructive, please pass. This story (and hope more forthcoming) are born out of a desire of discipline to write a Gabby moment out of every episode. My hope is the exercise will get the muse going and produce a universe of sorts. I can only hope to aspire to my favoritest of favorite fanfic authors who have gone before.

Gibbs' body was tired. He was glad his pickup seemed to just know it's way home from Fuentes' house. He knew he should stop for something to eat, but couldn't bring himself. All he could think about was getting home. He just wanted quiet and to not think and to lose his focus on something, anything. The boat, something he didn't have to concentrate to do.

As he looked at it from the outside, it should have been a good day. Easy-enough work, obviously he loved using his hands to make something. The treehouse hadn't been a challenge perse. The Sergeant had a really good start on it and it was solid. He'd only needed one run to the the hardware store for a latch he wanted to put on the gate. And Mrs. Fuentes had made them lunch when they'd gotten back... which they'd enjoyed outside on the beautiful fall day.

Even hanging out with Billy, on the surface, that had been good. lt... it had just been exhausting. Every time he turned around the boy was saying his dad had done this, his dad had done that. Which was good - it would make it easier for Billy to get through if he could talk about his dad. But it created a familiar feeling in Gibbs that he didn't know exactly what to do with.

Gibbs had been in the Corps long enough to know lots of families that had to go on without their husbands, fathers, brothers, sons. Didn't make it any easier. The more tender the wives, the sweeter the kids... that just made it more difficult. Billy was a sweet kid. Full of vigor and bravery, yet unsupposing and innocent in all the challenges that lie ahead of him. Times that he will have to go on without his father, forever.

As he rounded the corner on his street, he noticed the long black vehicle parked across from his house right away. There was a moment where the sadness loosened in his chest and had there been a witness they may have spotted the smallest of smiles. He gave a minute shake of his head and parked in his driveway.

Getting down out of the cab of his truck, Gibbs turned to find Abby standing by the tailgate waiting for him. She had a cloth bag in each hand, and one looked like it had produce in it.

"Hey Gibbs," Abby ventured, shifting her weight, looking slightly unnatural to him. He raised a gentle eyebrow at his friend and she let the floodgates open. "I... I was just thinking I could make you a little dinner. I only know how to make like two things, so it's one of those two things, but it's still pretty good I think. Lots of vegetables and I brought chicken to put in it and thought you might like a simple meal on a warm fall..."

"Abby," Gibbs head was spinning.

"Yeah Gibbs?"

"Abby that's great," may as well come clean, "I was just thinking I wished I would've stopped for something to eat."

The look of relief that passed over her face was undeniable. "Oh. Well great!"

They got themselves into the house and Gibbs started excusing himself to go wash up, at least a little bit. He needed to get a layer off at any rate. He looked up at Abby, not sure what to tell her to do while he was gone for a couple of minutes. She'd been over a couple of times before, mostly to talk to him in the basement. A time or two after cases with hinky forensics (that of course she figured out just fine but had frustrated her), and a time or two when things were bothering her young heart. It was those times when he wasn't sure what to say, but just listened and was glad that his basement provided some sort of proverbial shelter for her too in a time of need.

"Gibbs, go - clean up. I'll just get started... if that's okay?"

"Sure, Abby... sure." He wasn't sure what it was about this girl that made him... almost stutter, in his movements, his thoughts, his words. At any rate, she saved him by turning the other way and pulling out the cutting board next to the stove and placing one of her bags up on the counter. She was opening up a cupboard door to where she would find pans... and strangely enough she looked like she knew what she was going to find there. She'll be fine, he excused himself with another wordless grunt of sorts and made his way upstairs.

When he returned back to the kitchen, there was already some sizzling in a deep and short rounded pan that he didn't entirely recognize. There was a fresh aroma, and when he peeked he saw colorful strips of peppers and carrots and the pieces of chicken were starting to turn opaque already.

"Looks good, Abby."

"And good FOR you Gibbs! That's the best part! Lots of antioxidents and protien and yummy sweetness..."

"So not really ribs and slaw with barbie sauce..."

"Oh god no," Abby laughed. "I can probably make that stuff from watching my grammie make it back home but I wouldn't feed that to you! Bad enough Secret Service Kate let the President eat it on Air Force One!"

Her indignation at the President's diet made him chuckle inside again and so he went on to the next topic of conversation.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure tonight Miss Scuito?"

"Gibbs, I heard you ripped your hardline out again this year and dunked your cell phone in a jar of paint-thinner. Ducky and I know ex-wife number three gets bothersome around this time of year... you should reach out for some, you know, moral support bossman. We care about you!"

Oh. Well, that's some sort of reason. "Thanks for the reminder, Abby."

"Is that like a thank-you-thank-you, like, really thanks? Or a thanks-but-no-thanks like, leave me alone in my misery thank-you?"

Sigh. He didn't know. "It's a glad-you're-here-right-now thank you."

She held his gaze another moment, looking like she was deciphering with her forensic eye whether or not he was telling the truth.

"Ok, I'll take it. Honestly, that's better than anything I could've come up with."

I highly doubt that, Gibbs thought. "So anyway. No ribs, what is this?"

"Stirfry! Well, a pretty Americanized Stirfry. Got plates?"

The made quick haste of dishing themselves up and the other bag Abby brought must have held beers and sodas because those miraculously appeared from the fridge as well. They went in and sat the dining room table that Abby had to have freshly wiped down while he was upstairs. They dug in and conversation was not needed.  
>Abby finished up the smaller helping she had dished herself and turned to him. "So what were you doing today anyway, Gibbs? Looked like you had been working somewhere."<p>

"Was helping a friend finish up a project."

"Oh fun! What kind of project?"

Decision-time. Avoid or admit. Not the first time he's faced that question. This was probably safe to admit.

"Treehouse." At Abby's raised brow Gibbs took another breath and dug in. "Sergeant Fuentes had left one half-made for his son Billy. We worked on it most of the day today. Got it all pretty much wrapped up." He provided some more details on the steps he and the boy had taken during the course of the day, he recounted the trip to the home improvement store and lunch. As he was doing that, he and Abby cleared their plates and took their drinks into the living room. They sat down toward opposite ends of the couch.

"Awww Gibbs, that's so sweet!"

"Dont usually do 'sweet' Abbs..."

"Oh I bet you do and you just don't let us see. You went and spent a whole day of your weekend off rotation, finishing a treehouse for a little boy who lost his dad and may not have had anyone else to help him out. I wish you would've told me! I've done done Habitat for Humanity builds before - did I ever tell you that?"

"I didn't know that actually."

"Yeah, I usually help with electrical stuff but I know my way around a hammer too... but I just meant to say that because I would've loved to help you... see all your mad wood skills in action." "It was more than that for me today, or different anyway. Lots of kids lose a parent to war. I mean, I lost men with wives and kids at home. When you lose someone during a time of war... it doesn't just change you like it normally would. It alters your world-view. You don't see or interpret anything the world tells you - your government, city, the clerk at the grocery store or the teller at the bank - the same as before the institution of war robbed you."

Gibbs looked up at Abby. Her eyes were wide, waiting for his next word. "Anyway," he continued, "It changes you. And if I get to make that just that very little bit better for Billy... then it was a good day."

Abby waited, seemed to wait to make sure he was done. "Wowza Gibbs... thank you. Thank you for sharing." Abby spoke delibertely. "I'm not sure I've ever heard you say so much. And so much heart..." She trailed off, maybe unsure of what to say next. Even though it was hard to imagine Abby unsure of what to say next.  
>Gibbs still felt quiet. He wasn't sure why today had affected the way it had or why he had been so apt to talk about it with Abby. It felt right and unfamiliar at the same time.<p>

"I don't know Abbs... it's been a strange day." Yeah, time to be done with the evening. The basement was calling. "Thanks a lot for dinner. It was really great. The company too." He got up and extended a hand to Abby and they stood facing each other. Abby kept hold of Gibbs' fingers and squeezed gently.

"Well there it is again. You did something else sweet tonight."

"What would that be?"

"You called me 'Abbs'... you've never done that before! it's sweet."

Gibbs just smiled and wondered at this pretty girl in front of him. "Well we'll just keep that to ourselves. Don't want word getting out." He looked her in the eye and held her gaze for just a moment past normal. He smiled and she smiled back.

"Ok bossman. Whatever you say. I should get going. Thanks for letting me hang with you tonight." Gibbs walked Abby out and down the front walk. Their fingers were still entwined. Gibbs concentrated on breathing evenly and enjoyed the sensation her warmth. The comfort that clearly she wouldn't know she was providing. She must not realize she'd forgotten to let go.

And he, well, he didn't really want to let go.

When they got to the end of his drive, they both paused and squeezed the other's fingers gently. She looked both ways and crossed the road to her hearse. She turned back and waved at him, got in and he watched her pull around to drive off.


End file.
